Broken Wings
by PegasusDevice
Summary: A simple mailpony's routine delivery takes a turn for the worst when he crashes and can't fly. Now how will he realize his dreams of being like Rainbow Dash? Join Morningstar on his journey as he discovers what it is to be yourself, the unique gift within, and what exactly is in that package. Contains light OCxRainbow Dash. My first fanfiction. Please R&R!
1. A Legacy

The sun was rising, rays peeking through Morningstar's window. He began to stir, roused from his deep slumber, wrapped in the sun's warm embrace. Finally, he got up. Morningstar walked over to his dresser, which had a mirror built in. He brushed himself off, from mane to tail, and then gave his wings a stretch. They weren't like everypony else's; they were metallic, made of a dark, strong, feather light, silvery material. He stared into them, and then turned his body so his wings caught the sunlight, making them turn from being grey as lead to bright silver. After his self-adoration was complete, he walked downstairs to the kitchen to fetch a quick apple before work.

His morning routine complete, he trotted out the door of his Cloudsdale home and over to the post office. He was a mailpony, and he loved stories. Once, he heard a story about some featherbrained Pegasus who worked in Ponyville. She was a mailpony, just like him, except her eyes were different. Every pony thought she was weird, but Morningstar never did. He had always liked that story; one of a beautiful Pegasus who wasn't weird, just different, like him. Even better than those stories were the ones of Rainbow Dash, and of her amazing Sonic Rainboom. Every time somepony would tell a story like that, Morningstar would always be transported back to his days at flight academy. He remembered that one day: a young Rainbow Dash standing up for her friend against some bullies, then that Rainboom.

He kept walking, lost in his thoughts when he came up to the front of the post office. He walked inside and took a look around. It was still early, yet everything inside was so lively and energetic. Mailponies fluttered and trotted about; everypony was moving with a purpose. Morningstar worked his way through the hustle and bustle and into the prep room. His saddlebag was already loaded up for him, and from its size he could tell it was going to be a long day. Morningstar donned his hat, threw the saddlebag over his back, and strode out the room.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time he finished. Work was over; it was time to relax. At least for everypony else it was. For Morningstar, the day had really just begun. He flew out far beyond Cloudsdale, over the Everfree Forest. He knew the trees would break his fall should the worst happen, and that he could just fly out afterwards. The sun was setting by the time he got to the right area of sky. He perched himself on a cloud and looked over the edge. It was a long way down, just how he liked it. He scooted himself right to the edge… then jumped.

His bright blue and gold mane streaking the sky, he rocketed down towards Equestria as fast he could, piercing numerous clouds in the process. He was going fast enough to feel the full affects of air resistance across his entire body. The very air felt thick; like a viscous paste fighting his every motion. Morningstar could feel his body urging him to stop, but he knew he had to keep pushing; keep attempting the impossible. "Just keep trying," he thought. "Almost there."

He could sense it growing ever closer: the vaunted sound barrier. He knew that breaking it would a milestone to performing the Sonic Rainboom. He pushed even harder, pumping his wings furiously, fighting the air rushing past him. Then, he began to make out the vague shape of treetops beneath, growing alarmingly fast. He fought himself over whether to keep flying or pull up. He was so close, yet so far.

Following his better judgment, he made the decision to pull up. He flattened his wings parallel to the ground, catching as much wind as possible. Then he directed himself upward and fought gravity until he won. Looking down he realized that he was still far above the trees, though a little close for comfort. He was about as done for the day as the sun was, and slowly he began the flight home to Cloudsdale.

* * *

It was nighttime when he got back, landing on the street with a light _fluff. _He gave his wings a well deserved break, and walked about the streets. Morningstar loved the night. There was just something about the lights, the stars, the cool night breeze, and the hushed activities of the other pegasi that was captivating, enchanting to him. He passed by familiar streets, but there was always something new that kept Morningstar engaged. He was walking along, taking in all the sights and sounds of the night, when he reached the end of the street. There in the corner was his house. A simple house, yet more than that; it was home.

He walked up to his door, and pushed it open. Once inside he closed the door and plopped down in a chair, exhausted. After a few minutes Morningstar got up, walked past the kitchen, and went upstairs to his bedroom. He wasn't hungry; just tired. He pushed open the door to his bedroom. It was a simple room, nothing more than a cloud bed and a bookshelf. After turning out the lights he nestled into bed, tired but awake.

He laid there in his darkened bedroom, with aching wings and aching hope. Every attempt was met with failure. He was starting to think that he'd never go fast enough; that he wasn't good enough. Morningstar closed his eyes and imagined himself doing the impossible: the signature Sonic Rainboom. Something only one pony could do.

He wouldn't let himself believe that, though. Time and time again he's been told that only Rainbow Dash could do it.

…only Rainbow Dash could…

…only Rainbow Dash…

The words echoed in his head.

Finally he fell asleep, and dreamt of that day at flight academy: that day when he witnessed the Sonic Rainboom for the first time.


	2. Memories

Chapter Two

The sun was rising, barely peeking over the cloud layer and illuminating the camp. The rays lit up the clouds, which glowed a brilliant white against the bright blue sky. Some rays poured through the windows to the barracks, lighting up the interior. Inside, beds lined the walls, each occupied with a sleeping filly. All but two. Along the middle row, bunks labeled DASH, R and MORNINGSTAR lay empty.

Outside, two streaks burned bright against the early morning sky; one rainbow colored, the other bright, sparkling gold. The tails quickly faded off while the tips danced and twirled around each other, twisting and turning in a beautiful spectacle. Forming the streaks were the two strongest flyers at flight academy: Rainbow Dash and Morningstar.

The wind whipped Rainbow Dash's mane and tail back and forth as Morningstar pulled up next to her. Rainbow Dash yanked up to a stop as Morningstar followed suit.  
"What's wrong?" he asked. Noticing the distant look on Dash's face  
"Nothing…" Dash said, her face slowly being overtaken by a look of extreme excitement.  
"What is it?" Morningstar asked enthusiastically, poking Rainbow Dash. "Tell me, please!"  
"Just wait here, I want to try something." Dash said before flying even higher. Morningstar sat himself on a cloud.

Rainbow Dash flew up, higher than she ever had before. Finding a suitable cloud, she set down on it. Far below, she could barely make out Morningstar waving at her. _Alright,_ she thought to herself, _let's do this. _It was a long way down, just how she liked it. She scooted herself to the edge… then jumped.

Morningstar saw Rainbow Dash falling, like a cyan bullet cutting through the crisp dawn air. He almost flew up to save her when he took a closer look. She had one of her hooves forward, and was vigorously pumping her wings. She wasn't falling; she was flying… _straight down_. The next moment, she blew past Morningstar as he recoiled from the shock of her flyby. Rainbow Dash kept fighting against the air, but she knew she had to keep pushing. _Just keep trying, _she thought, as an arc of vapor was beginning to form around the little filly. Now the air was heavy, like sand. Rainbow Dash kept pushing, but the resistance was too much; she stopped in midair for an instant, then was thrown back violently.

She tumbled through the air in the direction she came from. Just as Rainbow Dash thought that she wouldn't be able to recover, Morningstar caught her and carried her back onto the cloud. She was dazed, but otherwise unhurt.  
"You alright?" he asked, concerned about little Dashie. She was shaking uncontrollably.  
"I'm alright. Just a little shaken up is all."  
"You sure? I think you should rest a little."  
"Like we have time; look!" Rainbow Dash said pointing to the sun, now noticeably higher up in the sky.  
"Oh no; think you can make it back in time?"  
"Ha!" Rainbow Dash laughed as she jumped up and hovered. "Think you can keep up?"

Morningstar looked her in the eyes as she looked back into his, a smile slowly creeping its way across their faces. Morningstar leapt off the cloud towards the assembly area of the camp, with Rainbow Dash close behind. They could just barely make out some figures standing in the assembly area in front of the barracks. They flew as fast as they could, streaking through the sky straight towards the assembly area. Finally, they hit the ground in a puff of cloud. A crowd had gathered around the crash site, still engulfed in fog and mist. Once the smoke cleared, everypony could see Morningstar and Rainbow Dash laying together, laughing.

Their laughing was cut short as a shadow cast over them. Leaning over them was Nightfire, another filly, with a dark body and red and black streaked mane.

"Well if it isn't the best fliers in all of Equestria," he said, offering a hoof to help them up. Morningstar pulled himself up while Rainbow Dash flipped around and hovered slightly.  
"You bet!" said Rainbow Dash proudly. "But the real question is: who won?"  
"At making us look bad? Both of you." Nightfire said. "Anyway, roll call's starting soon; you guys better fall in, lest ye displease the dark master," he said, playfully holding his hooves right in front of his face and lowering his voice. Morningstar chuckled in agreement and joined the increasingly organized crowd. "You too, Dashie," Nightfire said with a smile as he turned toward the floating cyan filly. "And quit showing off; you might need some of that energy."

At that, Rainbow Dash plopped to the ground and joined the rest of the ponies as Nightfire followed suit. The entire group of twenty-eight fillies started arranging themselves into a rectangular fashion; four rows with seven fillies in each row. As they were forming up, a large, dark grey Pegasus burst from the high cirrus clouds above and landed several feet in front of the first row of fillies. Anypony not already in their proper position quickly snapped to it. The sharp-eyed dark grey Pegasus looked over the fillies as a whole. The air was heavy with anxiety; all eyes straight forward, all wings spread open. Suddenly, the crisp air was broken by the grey Pegasus' voice.

"Looking good today, everypony."

He spoke loudly, in a way that was kind but professional.

"We're just gonna spend some time today on the cloud course. I've seen a lot of you practicing and developing your own styles, and if those work for you, than good. If they don't, feel free to experiment and find new ones. Like I said, we're not here to teach you fillies how to fly; we're here to help you fillies _learn_ how to fly. Am I clear?"

"_Yes Sir!_" came a resounding reply from the fillies.

"Good, now grab your redwing and get flying"

* * *

Morningstar and Rainbow Dash raced through the cloud rings, holding off on the corners and pushing hard on the straightaways. Midway through the race, Morningstar looked down and noticed a small pink and yellow blob. He stopped in midair and hovered, observing the small splotch. Rainbow Dash whooshed past him, laughing. She passed the next ring before flying back.

"Hey," she said, poking him, "It's only fun if you actually try"  
"Wait up, look." Morningstar said, pointing to the pink and yellow blob.  
"That's Fluttershy!" Rainbow gasped, "Is she alright?  
"Why wouldn't she be? And why isn't she up in the air?  
"She never was a strong flyer; you know that."  
"Isn't that why she's here?"

Just then two fillies, one light brown, the other dark brown, approached Fluttershy. Even from their position higher up, Morningstar and Rainbow Dash could tell they were laughing.  
"Those jerks! I'll be right back." Rainbow said as she flew down to Fluttershy's aid. She flew past them, then circled around and landed between them and Fluttershy.  
"Leave her alone!" Rainbow said  
"Ooh, what're you gonna do, Rainbow Crash?" the light brown filly asked, mocking her.  
"Keep makin' fun of her and find out."  
The dark brown one backed his buddy up. "You think you're such a big shot? Why don't you prove it?"  
"What do you have in mind?" came Dash's response with an intimidating smile on her face. There was only one way to settle this.

* * *

"Is this how you always solve your problems?" Morningstar asked as he flew Dashie to the starting line.

"Ha! This is just warmup. It'll be over in a snap."  
"I know it will." Morningstar said, gazing at her.  
"Why are you staring at me?"  
"What you're doing for Fluttershy... You're a great friend, you know that?"  
"No I'm not. This is just a one-time thing." she said, blushing. "You want a great friend, look at yourself."  
"I'd much rather look at you."  
They both giggled. They were almost to the starting line now.  
"Well, time for me to watch you stomp these jerks." Morningstar said.  
"You know it! I'll see you after the race."

At that they parted ways. Rainbow Dash lined up at the edge of the cloud along with the two bullies while Fluttershy held the flagstaff in her mouth. Morningstar was about to stand on a cloud that doubled as bleachers when he felt a hoof reach up and pull him underneath. The next second he was looking right into Nightfire's eyes. A sly smile began to make its way across Nightfire's face.

"What is it?" Morningstar asked  
It was a huge smile now. "You like Rainbow Dash!"  
"No I don't!"  
"Yeah, right. Don't worry though, your secret's safe with me."  
"Um.. thanks. Anyway the race is about to begin."

Morningstar and Nightfire watched from beneath the cloud bleachers.

Back at the starting line, the racers were all in position.  
"You're going down!" one of the bullies taunted.  
"In history maybe! See you boys at the finish line!" Rainbow taunted back.  
The time had come; Rainbow Dash winded herself up. The other two were poised to shoot out the second they got the signal. Fluttershy brought the flag high, then quickly swooped it down. The racers took off, barely avoiding colliding with Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash took an early lead with the other two close behind. The dark brown filly lost control at the first bend and collided with a pillar. Rainbow was cruising through the rest of the rings when the other filly slammed into her side.  
"Later, Rainbow Crash!" he said before taking off.

Rainbow recovered from the impact, and flew harder to catch up with him. Her wings pumping furiously, she rocketed down at breakneck speed. The shockwave from Rainbow Dash knocked the other filly off balance, sending him tumbling out off course. The wind rushing past her hair and adrenaline rushing through her blood motivated Rainbow Dash to go even faster, push even harder. Powerful Pegasus magic filled her, allowing her to push herself far past physical limits. An arc of vapor forming around her, she aimed for the final ring, leading forward with both hooves. The arc sharpened into a point and started glowing red, charged with pure Pegasus magic.

As she passed the final ring, she unleashed that magic in a explosion of color and propelled herself back upwards. The colors of her mane streaking the sky, Rainbow flew through the finish line and painted her rainbow across the sky. She felt that freedom, that ecstasy of flying, that rush of excitement, even after she stopped painting her rainbow. She started to feel her wings getting tired, and started approaching the starting line.  
Rainbow Dash was greeted by a throng of cheering fillies, Morningstar and Nightfire among them. They started laughing out of sheer excitement and awe as an out of breath Rainbow Dash came towards them.

"About time." Nightfire said.  
"Now you've got even more colors!" Morningstar said, pointing to her cutie mark.  
"Huh?" Dash turned to see her cutie mark. "Well! I guess I didn't notice that."  
"It fits you. I wish I could say the same for mine." Morningstar said as he looked at his own cutie mark; a pair of angel's wings. "Anyway, that was amazing, Dashie!"  
"Thanks!"  
"Maybe one day, I'll find out what my own cutie mark means, huh?"  
"One day. But today, I'm resting. You want to join?"  
"Sure, why not?" Morningstar said.  
"I'll leave you two alone." Nightfire said, giving a sly look to Morningstar.

Rainbow Dash jumped and tried to take off, but her wings stiffened and she sank right back down.  
"I got you." Morningstar said as he took her into his hooves. He flew them both to a puffy cloud a moderate distance away from the cloud course. Rainbow Dash laid down on the cloud as Morningstar knelt beside her. She was tired.

Morningstar and Rainbow Dash stared into each other's eyes for a moment. They smiled at one another. Rainbow nestled her tired head into Morningstar's side.

"Good night." She whispered.

"Good night." Morningstar whispered back.

The sun was only halfway down, but Morningstar felt himself overtaken by a sudden sleepiness. He shifted himself into a comfortable position, being careful not to disturb Rainbow Dash. Morningstar laid his head down, and closed his eyes. Just before falling into deep sleep, he unconsciously wrapped his arms around Rainbow Dash.

* * *

Morningstar woke up in his cloud bed, sun rays peeking through his window. Time to get ready for work.


	3. A Failure

Chapter 3

Morningstar was holding a lump of cloud against his chest. He tossed it aside and climbed off the bed. He began to walk over to the dresser. Morningstar felt happy, just barely remembering the dream; barely remembered holding Dashie in his hooves. Within seconds the memory of the dream was gone, yet that warm feeling inside him remained. He started brushing himself, his own reflection greeting him. Morningstar couldn't remember why, but he felt happy; far happier than usual. He put the brush down and looked himself over. Everything was in order. He quickly trotted downstairs and didn't bother with breakfast.

Morningstar stood in the front door, looking out into the street. Everything seemed enhanced; the city felt more alive, the few ponies in the streets seemed to move with more energy. Even the early morning sun seemed to shine with a renewed glow. Morningstar took a deep breath, and let the cool crisp air fill his lungs. The air was cool and still; perfect for flight. He spread his wings wide and leapt into the air, his wings keeping him aloft. After performing a few rolls and loops, he sped towards the post office.

Landing in front with a light _fluff_, he made his way inside. Everypony was hustling and bustling about, performing their duties. He made his way through the lobby and into the prep room. Standing inside was another Pegasus, with a yellow body and blue streaked mane.

"What's up, Windedge?" Morningstar asked.

"Oh, hey! Boss wanted to see you."

"Aw, crap. What did I do?"

"I don't know. He sounded positive, so I don't think it's bad."

With that, Morningstar walked across the prep room and knocked on the door to the manager's office.

"Come on in!" came a polite voice.

"You wanted to see me?" Morningstar asked, entering the room.

"Yes," replied a slender Pegasus from behind the desk. There was a package on it. He turned his chair to face Morningstar.

"As you know, the holiday season is fast approaching. Ponies everywhere are sending each other gifts. Couple that with the recent train wreck, and we hardly have enough resources to cover all the long distance shipping. In addition to that, I've been observing you lately; you're a fast and dedicated Pegasus, and the best flier we've got. Because of that, I'm promoting you.

Morningstar's face lit up.

"Your salary will be increased, effective immediately," he continued. "Your first assignment: deliver that package," he said, motioning towards the small box on the desk. "There's no address, no ZIP code, nothing. There's some writing on it, but I use that term _very_ loosely." He smiled as he slid the box off the desk and into Morningstar. "Good luck!"

"Hope I won't need it," Morningstar said as he turned and left the room. Windedge was still standing in the prep room, waiting for him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I've been promoted to shipping!" Morningstar grinned.

"Heh. Shipping…"

"Wait, what?... oh, you're funny."

"You don't need to tell me! So, where's that package going?"

"Not a clue. What about your dinky little letter?"

"Um, let's see… Doctor Atmosphere at the Rainbow Factory."

"Hope you come back. Everypony knows you almost failed your flight exam."

"Yeah. Remember the recent ones, with Aurora and the others? And what _you_ did?"

"I'd rather not. Anyway shouldn't you be on your way? You wouldn't want to keep them waiting."

"Good point," Windedge said before he strode out the room. He paused on the other side of the door, holding it open. "Hey Morningstar," he turned around. "Good luck."

Morningstar gave him a smile before Windedge trotted away. He looked down at the package and shook it. It was obvious that there was writing on it at one point, but whatever was left was smudged and unreadable. Out of the mess, Morningstar could barely make out the word "Ponyville." Ponyville was a few days away without a train. He sighed at the thought.

After throwing on his saddlebag, Morningstar exited into the lobby. It was empty now, with everypony having left to do their tasks. He ran out onto the street and took off for home, knowing that he'd need some things for the trip. He opened the front door and set the package down. Morningstar readied himself for the delivery: he grabbed his compass and goggles from his room, a warm jacket and scarf from the closet, a fire starter and map from a drawer, even medical supplies from the kitchen.

One more thing, he remembered; he went back up to his room and reached into the nightstand. He took out a carbon steel military knife with a seven inch blade. He remembered the day he got it after joining the Equestria Army Reserve. It had its own special sheath that held it beneath his wing for concealment. Morningstar put it on and walked over to the mirror to look himself over. He paused for a moment, and then opened the drawer in front of him. He pulled out a necklace. It had the right wing of an angel on it, with a small piece missing on one side. He put it on, walked downstairs, and picked up the package. It was light, as if empty. He shrugged and placed it securely into one side of his saddlebag; the less weight the better.

Morningstar threw the saddlebags over his back and strode out the door. He looked one last time back at his house. The lights were off and the blinds were closed; it made the house look sad. Morningstar smiled, as if to reassure himself that things would turn out alright. Leaving for more than a few days always made him nervous. Even when he knew for sure that he'd be back, Morningstar got homesick easily. He shook the thought out of his head and took off flying high, heading south for Ponyville.

* * *

Morningstar cruised through the sky, the cool night air whipping his scarf back and forth. It had grown cold, and Morningstar bundled up accordingly. He'd been cruising for hours; since the sun was still early. He began to feel slightly fatigued and tired, but nevertheless he pushed on. A strong wind came from the side, nearly throwing Morningstar off balance. He recovered and kept flying. A few minutes later he started to feel drops of rain beating down on him. They quickly grew in intensity as strong winds began coming at him from all sides. Morningstar started to get nervous. It was too dark to see anything, even the ground. Soon he was engulfed in thick black clouds, obscuring his vision even further.

Lightning flashed all around him while wind and rain knocked him around: he had flown right into a storm. He tried to orient himself angling downwards, but a strong updraft fought him. A strong gust hit Morningstar from the side, causing him to lose control and start flailing. He started panicking, desperately trying to orient himself. Suddenly, he saw a bright flash of light, then a terrible burning all across his body. Morningstar's breath was cut short as his muscles started to spasm. He tried to fight through the pain, but his muscles were locked up. Quickly he grew weak and exhausted, and started losing altitude.

He was unconscious when he hit the ground.

* * *

Morningstar's vision cleared as he slowly woke up. He looked around; he was on a mountain. Several more were in the distance, partially obscured by thick fog. Next to him was a stream running down to sea level and around him was sparse woods. Among the trees, branches were broken and splintered along the path he fell. He walked up to the riverbank and looked at his reflection. He almost didn't believe what he saw; he was covered in cold mud, with deep cuts and gashes across his jacket and body. Dried blood stained his mane and coat. Morningstar threw off his jacket, scarf, and saddlebags before he washed himself in the stream. He submerged his entire body for a moment. He emerged and looked behind him; all the water downstream was tinted red.

He caught a glimpse of his wings, and jolted forward in shock. They were broken, burnt, and mangled. The bones were completely fractured, and he could see the ragged edges of feathers that were violently torn off. On his right wing was a hole that cut straight through it. A dark ring of burnt feathers surrounded it, with blood mingling with the charred flesh. For a minute he only stared at them in disbelief; his own wings spewing blood, utterly destroyed and useless. The sight of them made him feel sick. The world started spinning, with Morningstar struggling to keep his balance. He vomited uncontrollably into the river, his stomach burning and his eyes watering.

He struggled to breathe. Finally air rushed to his lungs in the form of short, rasping breaths. Again he submerged his body into the cool stream, and felt as the gentle water washed away the blood. He emerged slowly, calmer and more collected. Now wasn't the time, he thought. Morningstar shook himself off and walked over to his saddlebags. He pulled out strips of bandages and some cloth. He used the cloth to splint his wings, then wrapped them tightly around with bandages.

Next, he pulled out his map and laid it flat on the ground. Morningstar approximated his location: he was somewhere in Unicorn Range, north of Ponyville. Where exactly, he wasn't sure. What he did know was that Ponyville was south, and south meant going up the mountain. Morningstar bundled up in his jacket and scarf, both heavily torn and stained with dried blood. He took the package out from the saddlebag and inspected it. It was relatively intact, compared to Morningstar himself. Still sore, he threw the saddlebags over his back and began slowly walking up the mountain, staying along the river for guidance.

* * *

Morningstar kept walking, the cold numbing his pain. The weather had gotten progressively worse over the course of the day, with harsh winds and stinging cold dominating the air. Soon, the snow came up to his knees, and was coming down heavily enough to obscure vision. A snowstorm was coming, and Morningstar knew it. He was lucky enough to find a small cave cut into the mountain, and decided to rest there.

Morningstar threw down his equipment and started a fire. It was nighttime now, and the fire's glow lit up the interior. It was relatively small, no more than twelve feet long with a low ceiling. He sat next to the fire and put down all of his equipment. He was cold, tired, and sore. Now that he wasn't busy, now that he wasn't thinking about anything else, then the pain began to set in. Every inch of his body burned. He could feel each individual cut, every inch of every gash, even the loose fragments of shattered bone in his wings. The pain became almost too much to bear. Morningstar clutched his stomach in agony.

The pain kept him up. Eventually it subsided, and Morningstar was able to focus on other things. He looked outside. The wind was still heavy, and the snow relentless. He couldn't see past a few feet in front of the cave; everything beyond was shrouded in black. He stared into the darkness, contemplating his situation. For a minute he felt lost, hopeless. Nopony knew where he was. Even if they did, they'd have no way to reach him. He was alone; utterly, helplessly alone. If he dies, Nopony will ever find him.

But what if he doesn't? What would everypony think when they see Morningstar, one of Cloudsdale's best fliers, unable to fly for his life? What would they think of a Pegasus, a pony known only for _being able to fly_, with useless wings?

Morningstar exhaled, and felt his heart sink. A failure, that's what. He was a failure.

It was that feeling of being a failure, that feeling of being inadequate, that haunted him most. His environment, both then and now, wouldn't tolerate failure. Back in Cloudsdale, inadequacy was dealt with in only one way. They say that failures were deported, but Morningstar knew the truth: he knew about the Rainbow Factory, and the terrible things that happened there. He knew that in Cloudsdale, failure meant the factory; failure meant death. Here, it was no different. Cold, injured, and alone in the middle of nowhere, Morningstar just couldn't fail. It was either fight… or die.

Fight or die… fight or die… he whispered to himself. This wasn't the first time he'd heard it. Morningstar unsheathed his knife and turned it over in his hoof. He let it catch the light of the fire, highlighting the scratches on its surface. He remembered the day he was issued it; the day he had to use it… the day he took somepony's life with it.

Morningstar shook the idea out of his head. What's done is done, he thought. He'd never forgive himself, though. Even though it was in self defense, even though he was doing the right thing for Equestria, he'd never forgive himself. Morningstar saw all of ponydom as beautiful and special, and one being lost for any reason was a tragedy. He remembered holding the knife in his mouth, pinning an incoming wing… then plunging it deep into the flesh of another pony. He remembered feeling the blood gushing out of the wound and into his face. He remembered tasting it, as the lifeless body fell to the ground. After that day, he swore never to kill another pony for any reason. Because of that, he was discharged from the army.

Morningstar sheathed his knife, suppressing the memories. He leaned his face against the wall, and thought again about himself. What was he? A Pegasus that couldn't fly? A soldier that wouldn't kill? He peeled his face off the wall and lay on his side.

A failure, that's what.

His heart sank deeper as the night progressed. Finally fatigue overcame him, and he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
